Feelings on the internship at Lazy Seal Diving Company :)

When I first heard about an opening as an intern in Thailand, I was obviously thrilled and excited, because who wouldn’t have been? I have only been in Thailand once before so my knowledge on this beautiful country was limited to endless hours of browsing through pictures of picture perfect beaches and crystal clear waters. As in everything you do in life, you have expectations that can sometimes be set to be a bit too high based on limited knowledge. Not in this case. When the plane was gliding towards Krabi airport and the sun hit these perfect waters I knew I was in for a treat. This is what I had always wanted to do – take off from my regular life and set of for an adventure not knowing what to really expect, doing the thing I love.

 

It’s funny to think that something you’ve wanted for so long can feel so scary. I’m not going to lie to you, I was petrified at the airport as I was about to take off. It was only then when it hit me that I was actually about to leave everything that was familiar to me and fly to the other side of the planet to work at Koh Lanta with people I had only seen on Skype briefly. As they say, the hardest part is leaving. Emotions run high and you think to yourself ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘How on earth will I survive when I don’t know anyone?’ I’ve always thought that the absolute best thing you can do in your life is to take these chances and leave everything familiar behind and just jump on the opportunities that are given to you. When I was introduced to diving, from the very first moment I jumped into the water I was hooked. One of the best things about this internship has been to learn that I now know that I really do want to pursue a career in the diving industry and that this is really what I wanted to do with my life. I just never expected that I would be granted this kind of an opportunity this fast. And even though I experienced some doubts at the airport, I can honestly tell you that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

 

I once read a quote that has stuck with me ever since: ‘In the end you won’t regret the things you did in life that didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but the things you never tried because you were scared.’ I try to keep this in mind in everything I do, including applying for an internship across the planet. You can never know what awaits you and what you really love before you go ahead and try.

 

When I was younger I said I will never work in an office but will want to work outside with water and people. Now I have seen that by incorporating something you love into your work, even office work can be fun! No day is similar to another and once I got used to the work at the office, I have been granted more and more responsibilities also outside of it. I have been lucky to go abroad and out to sea with snorkelers and conduct tours for them on the surface. In the office I have learnt so much about what it really is to work in the diving industry – it’s not just being in the water but takes a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes’ activities that make all of this possible. I have learnt to reserve and book diving tours for customers and update customer database, and how to communicate with other dive shops professionally. I have now actually learnt to be excited about coming to the office because I know I will learn something new every day and with this set of colleagues the office feels more like a living room, where work is done professionally but where you can be yourself, ask questions and show openly what you would be interested to learn and be granted the opportunity to learn these things.


And, now I am happy to tell you that I have completed my Divemaster course!!! I could not be more thrilled! I can't believe we made it happen, another dream come true :) With this course I have been able to spend more time in the water, helping out with student divers ang learning myself. I have been lucky enough to witness peoples' first breaths underwanter and seen, how they learn to trust water as an element along with their skills and abilities. I tell you, there is no better feeling than seeing someone enjoy and fall in love with the same thing I once fell in love with myself - the ocean, diving and continuing to learn. This course also has given me so much. Not have I only learnt more about diving, but also more about myself. I had an amazing instructor who kept me focused and helped me through even the tougher parts of the course. I am so greatful and so incredibly happy :)

 

Still now, when there is only 6 days left until my departure, I am still trying to grasp the idea of what I have experienced, how many wonderful people I have already met and how absolutely excited I am to be here. I still wake up every morning surprised at seeing the sun and clear blue sky and wait with excitement of what the day has to offer. When I left Finland I really had no idea of what to expect. Once I arrived I was greeted with the warmest welcome I have ever had – hugs, smiles and a generally warm and safe atmosphere. I am still startled how quickly these people took me into their little family and how open they were to helping me with everything I needed help with. I truly am lucky to have found such a company where everyone is treated similar and more as family members than just colleagues. My second day here we took scooters and drove across the island and did some exploring and was shown around our little town. It’s these little things that these people have done to me that show how much they care and how incredible people they are.

The atmosphere here at the office is so relaxed and warm but at the same time professional and the work is done with dignity and precision. Here you won’t have to worry about having a boring day at the office because there is so much to do and learn in great company. I still can’t express how incredibly happy I am that I took this chance and was granted this opportunity, because without it, I would not be so sure that this is what I want to do, this is what I was born to do and I would have never met these people that have already in only three month’s time have become a huge part of my life.

 

For me this internship has been a huge learning experience, not just professionally, but personally. I have learnt things about myself that I didn’t know were there and have gained so much self-confidence by being here on my own and getting responsibilities from the company that show trust and confidence in me. I can’t even put to words how valuable this internship has been to me. Professionally I have gained so much experience in working in the diving industry from office work to actually being out at sea helping divers and snorkelers set up and enjoy the secrets of the ocean. I have loved diving ever since I first started, but this has also been a really good measure for me to see if this is something I really want to do professionally and build a career on, or would it have been better to just keep diving as a hobby. During my time here I have realized how much I love working with diving and it has been such a great gift to have been able to see also the background and what it really takes to run a dive shop. I will be forever grateful that I got this opportunity and have had the chance to work in the field I love with these incredible people.

 

-Maria

Take those chances and live your ife

 

When applying for an internship either at your home country or abroad there are a few things to keep in mind. Number one for me has always been to keep an open mind for new challenges and opportunities and to push yourself that extra mile and go for it even though the thought of leaving everything familiar behind would seem scary at the time.  I have always felt that you can look at life in two ways: take it as it comes and live a safe, secure life or affecting the way your life plays out by taking chances and stepping out of your comfort zone. In the end it’s the chances you never took that will cause regret, not the things you did that might not have gone exactly as planned.

 

I spent my year 2013-2014 as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile and after an amazing year abroad once again, I thought to myself that now would be a great time to stay put, finish school and continue at my job in Finland. But one day I was fortunately looking through the work placement ads at my school and one in particular stood out: Lazy Seal Diving Company. It has been my dream to pursue a career in the scuba diving industry and when I saw that there would be a possibility to apply for an internship at the Lazy Seal Diving Company, I ditched all my plans of a stable and steady life in Finland and chose to take on this opportunity and send in an application. Another dream came true when I was informed after interviews that I in fact had gotten the spot as an intern and you can only imagine the smile on my face - I looked like I had slept with a hanger in my mouth for months!

 

Life in Finland continued to be the same while temperatures went down and days got shorter. In the back of my mind I didn’t feel down as much as I could’ve because there was that little voice in my head telling me that come January and I’d be happily flying away from the cold and sleet and on my way to sunny Thailand. But reality didn’t strike until January 14^th when I was standing at the airport with my bag and scuba gear ready to embark on a new adventure. It was a scary and pleasant feeling at the same time because I had no idea of what to expect and that was both the thrill and nerve wrecking part of this new experience about to happen. But I felt ready, I was ready and while it was hard to leave home again after only being back for 6 months I felt so incredibly grateful that I was chosen for this position that it’s hard to put down as words, and that's why eagerness to see what was going to happen beat the nervousness that had lifted its head.

 

From my previous experiences from living abroad I had learnt that no matter what, you should always take an opportunity that presents itself to you. I have once come back way before I was supposed to because I had attachments back home that felt at the time as the biggest commitment of my life and I have also been guilty of not living in the moment when being abroad because I have always had my mind on things and people back home and I used to keep one eye on the rear-view mirror and did not know how to live in the moment and enjoy what I had while I was experiencing new things. But now as I was saying goodbye to my regular life in Finland again, I made it very clear to myself that I had to look forward, seize the moment and enjoy what I have while I have it. Home will always be there, things might change but the most important things will always be there. My mom has always courage me to do and experience things and when I am about to leave, I always hear her words in the back of my mind: ‘You can always come home, all you need to do is try your best’. These words are at the same time both encouraging and reassuring – not everything is for everyone but we only do have one life and when an opportunity comes along, it is important to take it and live your life with a little bit of adventure and uncertainty, because that’s how you make memories and get content to your life, not by sitting on the couch watching others live their, and your, life.

 

As the first week has rolled by, I still sometimes can’t believe that I am actually here. Waking up to sunlight and warmth with a view of palm trees from your window still feels like a surreal dream, but little by little I am starting to believe that this is really happening. I am so thankful for my previous experiences, because even though they might not have played out like planned, they have thought me so much and now I know how to keep myself focused on today and the opportunities that present themselves to me. Seize the day, seize the moment and enjoy your life as it comes. The future will come and it will play out like it will, so don’t worry, be happy and do the things you want to do. One day it may be too late and as said earlier, it’s not the things you did that you end up regretting but the things that you dreamt of but never did.

 
Yours truly,

-M-

Winds of change and new adventures

Hello hello again my peeps :)


This time I'm writing to you from Koh Lanta, Thailand! Yes, I'm here now :) One thing I have noticed about myself during the years is that I apparently can't stay still for very long. Either I'm tapping my foot on the bus while listening to music or going around the apartment singing to my favourite songs while cleaning or then just to annoy my dear neighbours. Or then I decide to take up on new challenges and adventures and change the location of myself :)




A bit over a year ago I was in the same position in my life and was about to fly off to Santiago de Chile to spend an exchage year over there. While the experience was amazing and I met a ton of amazing people and made life-long friends, I felt like it would be nice to stay in one place for a while and 'settle down' and live my life in Finland without too many changes for a while - go to school and work and enjoy the stable life back at home.




Well.. that lasted for about six months :) I changed school in August, I spotted an ad in our work placement Facebook group for an intern at a diving company here in Thailand. Needless to say, I needed to get the place. Along with my application went my plans for a stable life in Finland, but I felt like this was an opportunity of a lifetime and exactly the kind of work I wanted to do in the future so I couldn't pass on this and would probably forever hate myself for not applying if I didn't. So I applied. And a few days later got an email confirming a date for an interview! You can only imagine how extatic I was!




Once the internship place was confirmed my life's course changed again - in a good way :) I didn't fully comprehend what was actually happening since I had just come back from South America, gone to work and changed schools. But what would life be without a bit of adventure and doing things that you know nothing of and have no idea what to expect? Boring.




So the summer came and went, I was happy at work , went to school and and lived my life in Finland. Time seemed to pass by so fast that I didn't know what hit me when January 14th rolled around the corner and I was supposed ti fly off that evening. I had just spent 3 weeks in the States with my family over there and thought that 2 days in Finland would be plenty of time to experience the lovely finnish winter with its sleet but when those 2 days were over it was again surprisingly hard to leave home and important people behind, even though I knew that I was about to have another amazing experience ahead of me. And I have to be honest with you, because that's what I've promised, and have to admit that even on the plane I had a few tears in my eyes. Not because I didn't want to leave and because I wasn't thankful for this opportunity, but because in those two days at home I got suprisingly comfortable with being home and having my own routines again. It was hard to think about leaving the comfort of my own home behind again when I felt like I had just done that not too long ago, but once we were half-way through with the flight, reality struck and I decided that instead of being upset about all the things I once again left behind in Finland, I would be positive and excited about the things that were waiting for me and all the amazing people I would meet and get into my life from this trip. And it was a good decision because along with the sad thoughts went the nervousness and along came excitedness and hunger for new adventures.




Now it's my fourth day here and I couldn't be happier. I'm still in a state of awe about everything that I have encountered and already experienced and I won't even begin to explain about the weather ;) I can't believe what a difference sun and a blue sky can make in the mental state of a person. Let's just say that I feel like myself again and could not be happier that I took the chance and leap of faith and am sitting here at our office with an amazing team of colleagues :) More about the work and these few days here soon, now it's time to have some Pad Thai for lunch ;)




Hasta pronto, see ya later, take care of yourself and others :)


-M-

Thoughts of time

I know it's been a while since my last post, but so much has happened in these five months that I feel like I needed this break to try to figure out my head and all the overwhelming things that have happened to me during this time. I'm sorry if this post might seem  a bit dark, but as before, when fall arrives and days get shorter and sunlight seems to be imagination, I get a bit more thoughtful and allow myself to process these thoughts, so I am sorry if it's a bit heavy, but I needed to get these words down, for me. So here goes.

I feel like in life things happen for a reason and we either make decisions and decide upon things on our own, or then life throws something at you and you are left to deal with the outcomes of the situation. For a very long time I have tried to take responsibility about things that never had anything to do with me and ran away from them. I felt like everything that happened, mainly now the 'sucky' things, were in some way linked to my behavior and my actions. I took responsibility of them and therefore I have always tried to be the 'good one who never upsets anyone'. I have always tried to be the peacemaker in life and I feel that finally, only now I realize, that I am only accountable for the outcome of decisions that I have made, not the ones that were thrown at me.

For a long time now I have been running away from feelings caused by certain things that have taken place in my life even though I have on some level recognized that things didn't play out the way they did because of something I said or did once. They just happened. Running away from these feelings have caused me to build a wall around myself that only few people can pass. This is all still very weird for me, because all of this is only coming to me now as I write and it has taken me a long time to be able to put these thoughts on paper. I know they might not be interesting to you guys, but I, for my own sanity, feel that I need to write these thoughts down.

Running away from feelings and situations that happened once, contrary to my previous beliefs, is not the answer. I feel like I have in some way alienated myself from people in my life that I really ought to keep closer contact with and who are trying to maintain this bond between us, but because of my wall, find very hard to do. Every time someone gets a bit too close, I start pulling away and pushing them back to the other side of the wall. Over and over again I keep telling myself that I need to stop this way of thinking and that it really is time to let people in, but when you've been running away from situations and feelings for almost a decade now, it's easier said than done.

But it needs to be done. I don't want to end up in a situation where it's too late, because that would be the consequence of my own actions, and therefore I would actually be accountable for the time I lost and will never get back. As I write, it all seems so clear to me, but at the same time it feels incredibly scary to even think of doing so and I wonder why? If I have finally come to realize that I have not caused these situations and that they had nothing to do with the fact that I might have been mad that one day years ago, why can't I let go of this wall and take contact with people whom with I need to do so. Why is it so hard? Self-protection? Pride? Fear? All of these?

There's still something holding me back, but I feel fortunate, that I have gotten this far now, it took a long time, but as I see these words on paper, the thought doesn't seem so scary after all. Maybe I can now finally start taking those baby steps towards the solution instead of visiting the chained gate of these feelings over and over again but never entering. Day by day I get closer to doing this because day by day I realize that time is running out and we really do only get one chance at life and it should not be spent in fear or anxiety but in trying to make the best out of every situation and maintaining relationships that are important.

-M-

It's all coming back to me now

Hi guys,

sorry again, it's been too long... Guess life turned out good over on this side of the world since I apparently haven't had that much time to write :) Now that I've had a little more time at home to think things over and recap these months in Chile it's finally hitting me; in only five more weeks I'll be on the plane on my way back to my other home, Finland.

Back in August last year as I was finishing my work and frantically packing my things, With a Little Help from My Friends ( ;) see what I did there?), haha I thought to myself 'Wow, one year, a long time and it's not going to be easy and it's going to go by so slowly...' Now in April with only five weeks to go, I can't believe how the time has flown. It's a bit ridiculous actually, in a weird way :) In a way I feel like this is my home already, like I belong here and that the thought of leaving for good is totally absurb44, but on the other hand I feel like there is still so much to see and do, that I'm only now getting used to being here and that I definitely am not ready to leave yet.

Even though there is still some time to go, I've had to mentally try to accustom to the thought of leaving. This is why I have had to start to say goodbye to places I probably wont go anymore and to things I probably wont be able to do in these few weeks. Because of this I think the reality has really hit me. I'll go to places and think to myself, wow, this might be the last time I see this corner store, smell these streets and bump into these people. I know you guys might think that it's not healthy you know, enjoy the time you have there and don't think about leaving yet. I know this is true, but I just don't work that way.. I get emotionally attached to places and people very easily which, on the other hand, is a great way of coping, but on the other, always makes it harder to leave and say goodbye. So I decided to write... This post is about me recapping the past months and saying my thank yous and goodbyes to some of the things I have experienced during this year.

Despite my occasional days of breakdowns and enormous quantities of missing home, Chile has been so good to me. I have been really fortunate to  meet people that I hope will be in my life forever, you know who you are, to see places a few people will have the opportunity to see and have had the opportunity to live in another country, to find my roots and to do some more of self-searching.

I finally feel like the part of me that was looking for some sort of acceptance, the part of me that was always missing, has been, at least partially, found and filled. For me coming to South America was a very conscious and deliberate decision. I needed to know. I needed to know which parts of me and my foundation came from South America, was I really built of my genes or of my surroundings. What I found rather amazing is, that even though I find myself very odd in Finland, living here has proven to me that in fact, I am very Finnish. It doesn't really matter  where your genetics come from - what matters is where you grew up and which people surrounded you. Some times I really have felt here that I do belong. I look like everyone else, finally speak the language fluently enough and this really does feel like another home. Still, I continue to miss Finland and my home and family over there. Yes mom, that includes you ;)

It's funny how adaptable the human race is. I can't remember the last time I was properly settled in one place. I feel like I have always had my other foot out the door, looking for something new and different, for experiences and that missing part of me. Now that I have been here, I'm really looking forward to the future where I can finally settle in Helsinki, well, for a bit at least, work, study and live my life over there. I have always admired people who settle in any place they are with no difficulties and who can establish a life wherever they go. I didn't use to be one of these people. Now though, that I have been living on the other side of the world on my own, I think I finally have learnt the art of this. Home is not always where 'home' is, it's where you and your heart is. If you make the decision to go somewhere, you have to be ready to feel good about this choice and live with it. Like my mom always tells me, 'you can always come back home if things don't go the way planned. All you need to do is try'. I feel that after a few months here, I have finally been able to accept this wisdom and therefore it's actually like leaving home. Who knows where the next adventure will take me, but for now I can't wait to just be.

Thank God for writing. Needed to clear my head a little, feel like saying goodbye is always too concrete and like my mom told me today, I seem to always put myself in a situation where I have to leave. But what I'm happy to tell all of you now is that I am so happy and feeling good. I live in a great city, have good friends and live with people who have become my family. I feel like now I have yet another Chilean sister and aunt :)

Even though I know there will be rough times, home sickness and days when I'll only want to stay in bed and dream of Finland, I will not let these five weeks go to waste and enjoy the time of my life. There will never be an experience like this. The crime I have committed before is not enjoying the present, always looking in the rear-view mirror or waiting for the future. I'm determined not to let this happen anymore and will still continue to learn to appreciate the moment.

Because after all, 'yesterday is in the past, tomorrow is the future but today is a gift. That't why it's called the present.'

Live, laugh and love,
will get back to you soon,
With love,
-M

Dream a little dream of me

Hi guys!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I think in this past month that I've been here so much getting accustomed to basically everything has happened that I've been mentally in  a place where I just couldn't come up with a coherent text to publish. I had small ideas and bits and pieces on my mind but I just couldn't get them sorted out on paper. But now that I've had a bit more time to settle into the routine of studies, of everyday life here, I feel like I can finally start putting words down, so here again some thoughts :)

In the beginning I was writing about very detailed things that happened over here and I loved it. This is so different from my life in Finland that I wanted to let you guys know everything - I wanted you to see the smallest details I saw on my walk to the bus stop and smell the lingering scent of oranges and cilantro in the supermarkets and market places. But now that I've gotten a routine here, gotten more used to the 'normal', everyday life, I realized that instead of trying to convey only the small details, it's just as important to let you guys know about the everyday things that for me, already start to feel normal.

So, I've started to settle into this family more and more, we actually decided that I would stay living here and I'm really happy and grateful that they offered this opportunity to me. Even though I am used to living on my own and by my own rules, living with this family has done a lot of good to me. A few weeks back I realized that I haven't taken one single of my melamine pills (melatoniini in Fin./not sleeping pills, but natural sleeping help), that I have been taking in Finland a lot, at least one, some days even two per night. This was a huge realization to me because now I can also start digging up the reasons why I can't sleep in Finland. During the last few months I'd sleep 2-3 hours a night and be dead tired at work because I just could not sleep. Here, I've slept at least 7 hours per night since I arrived without any kind of assistance from pills. I think, even if it might sound stupid to someone, that this issue is one of the most important ones to tackle right now in my life. And living with a family again might bring some sort of feeling of security to me that I was lacking in Finland. Thus the insomnia. Before leaving, I was actually scared where I'd get more melamine, because I had no clue how the medical system here works. Now, I haven't even taken the case out of my suitcase and couldn't be happier that I can finally, in many years, SLEEP. and I mean, really sleep. This is a huge revelation to me. And a relief too.

School has been going good, our class is alright, but just as anywhere, the 'new kids' are picked on a little, might the reason be jealousy or something else, I really don't care anymore, I've grown out of it. But having 18 year old classmates when you're used to more mature friends (younger ones, don't get me wrong, I've just always gotten along better with people older than me), coming back to immature girls talking bad behind your back, is something I left behind in middle school, once you deal with something like that you learn to ignore it. And yes, in a new country with so much getting used to still, it of course feels bad, but you just have to lift yourself above it all. Nothing more to add. Despite this, our class is actually very welcoming and helpful. We have a lot of fun with most of them and it's a pleasure to go to school every day, I actually look forward to going. And I think this is also very important. You have to feel good about what you're doing and there's no point in doing it if you don't look forward to it every time.
School over here is definitely more work than in Finland and students are much more motivated with their studies and this shows in everyday life. Homework and presentations are handed in and held on the given date and everyone has their work with them. In Finland we would have 5 weeks to finish a presentation, here we get 5 day, and the next one is already announced. It's very different and we Finns need to pull ourselves together in order to actually get things done haha :) But we're on it, staying late in the library and doing our homework (that yes, I'll admit we forgot we had..) until 3.30am. But we did it, and we do it. Like everything, it takes a lot of getting used to but we're doing the best we can and it's working. Day by day the local customs get more and more familiar and we get more and more used to the way things are done over here.

Before I left, my mom also told me that there will be times when you feel that you're on the top of the world and that everything is simply amazing, and then all of a sudden you come crashing down and sink into a state of melancholy, nostalgia and even a slight depression. This is because everything is SO new, so unfamiliar and so different. Right now, I have to admit, I've sunken into this sort of a small funk... once settling into the local habits more, the trip becomes a way of life, no a vacation anymore. And when this stage hits you, everything seems to fall apart for a moment. Now, don't get me wrong, I still absolutely love it over here and I still have never felt more like at home anywhere in my life, but this is an inevitable phase in I think every exchange students and immigrants settling in process.

Some days my Spanish just doesn't work. I can't say the easiest sentence and I can't understand anything at all. (This because I'm managing with 3 languages every day) Sometimes I even surprise myself in how well I already manage the language. Up's and down's. Some days I feel like this is the best place in the whole world and that I really belong here. Others, I want to cry because it's so different and I just miss the feeling of knowing what to do, how to do things and feeling accustomed to things. Like where I can buy hand cream, where I can draw money from and where I can reload my bus card. Getting used to the habits and customs of an entirely new and different culture is full of up's and down's that I just have to face but right now I'm afraid to say that my funk phase has kicked in. I still feel more at home here than anywhere before but I miss the simplicity of how things work in Finland, the easiness of it all and mostly that I set my own 'cultural-rules' over there, meaning that I know how to act in certain situations and don't have to be afraid of embarrassing myself or even worse, offending the locals. Right now I miss the culture I've grown up in because it's all so familiar - I know what to do. I miss being able to just grab my coat and heading to the center with my friends and just having someone to hang out with.

My favorite sentence right now that I keep repeating to myself is that: ' you really know what someone means to you when you leave and realize that you truly miss them'. I feel like this applies to places just as well as it does to people because of this whole unfamiliarity thing of a culture I've been talking about. But thanks to my mom who told me that this trip will be like a roller coaster ride I had a chance to prepare myself for this and I know to give myself time to deal with these feelings too and not feel guilty about sometimes missing my culture and everything and everyone who is familiar to me.

Sorry, this hasn't been the most upbeat post and it feels kind of stupid to post this kind of text after a while of silence but now that I've felt a bit down for the past few days, I just needed to write about it and share my true feelings to all of you. And I think it's also helpful (if someone's thinking of going away for exchange or for good), to get to know that these up's and down's really do occur even though if your situation would be like mine, where you've waited for a chance like this for over 15 years. They still do occur even though it would be your dream. So as I am thankful for my mom for preparing me for this, if there's anyone reading this who's thinking of leaving, I just want you to be prepared for it too. Soon, I hope, this funk will fade and I can stop longing the familiarity again, but for now, I have to let myself feel the way I feel. For so many years I've pushed my feelings aside that I decided that now I owe it to myself to let myself feel what ever the feelings may be.

Just want to let you know that I'm doing well, I love it here despite the funk, I feel amazing and love the feeling of belonging and am so grateful that I can be here and live with this amazing family.

Hope I get around to writing again a bit more often now, I think having settled in a bit more will give me time to organize my thoughts and I'll actually be able to write. I think in this first month I just had to take everything in and I didn't even want to think about not absorbing everything in, so I didn't and just went with the flow and let myself experience Santiago. Now that I've settled in a bit more I can start writing again :) So hope you will still stick with me and follow my amazing journey!

Oh and PS. I got on the school's football team :P check it out haha :) -->

To be continued...
Lots of love,
Maria

One week check point

Hello again you wonderful peeps!
Sorry I've kept a bit to myself lately, started university on Monday and since then been way too tired to even think about getting anything written down here that would make any sense :) But now, I'll let you know about my first week in Santiago.

Still can't believe it's only been a week, I feel so at home over here that it feels unbelievable! Now that I know how the metro works and am not afraid to take it anymore, know the language already so much better than I did a week ago when I arrived, I feel that I have so much to do here, so many things to see and now finally I can do it because I have at least some sort of means of communication. I can't believe how at home I feel, it's an unbelievable feeling because for the first time in my life I feel like I belong. You guys know that I like Finland, but for some reason, not standing out as the 'latina' one feels so damn good. Having people around me that look like me for the first time in my life brings me such a feeling of belonging, that is hard to explain in words. But I have that feeling now. I feel like I belong - like I'm a part of something great and that I'm the majority for once. It feels good, believe me or not, contrary to what a lot of people want to achieve (standing out), being a part of a crowd where no one looks at you for being a bit different but accepts the fact that "hey, you're latina like I am", is an unbelievable feeling to have for the first time.

Another reason why I'm having a hard time believing that it's only been a week since I arrived is that thanks to this amazing family, I have had the opportunity to experience a lot already! And not this touristy stuff that you might think, but what I think is even better: normal things that local families do. Going to the market buying vegetables, going to the supermarket, having a really big family dinner. The are all things that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience if this family wouldn't have taken me in to stay with them. I like seeing how the normal, local family lives and the errands they run and being a part of it. It's very similar to how people everywhere live, but being here and getting the opportunity to see how a Chilean family functions is just as valuable to me than going around sight-seeing.  I'll get a chance to do that later but right now I appreciate getting to know the customs and habits of locals, just living their lives.

So.... School.... haha it's been a rollercoaster up until now. The campus area is great, our class mates are hilarious and we have this amazing teacher in one class who reminds me so much of the comedian Gabriel Iglesias that it's hard not to laugh before he's even started his lectures. He's amazing! :) Right now I'm taking Tourism Development, Chilean Attractions and Services, Philosophical Anthropology ( WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!!!), Guiding and Customer Service, World Heritage and Destination and to top it all off: Advanced English. Most of the courses I have liked so far, but this advanced English... No offence to anyone but I'd much rather be learning how to say 'Hello. Who are you? My name is Maria' in Portuguese, not in English. I like the teacher and it's good fun, but I hink I could use my time better learning a new language rather than sitting in class learning to pronounce BOOT, SHOE, TREE.... We'll see, I think Jenni is even more annoyed by this class than I am, but I don't really mind in the sense that I get to help my classmates when they are having a hard time, and it's great, not just because I can help, but it's also creating a stronger bond between us, when we can ask each other for support and be there to support one another.

I only have classes on four days; Monday through Thursday, which is awesome, and, to top it all off, I am in the afternoon classes, which means that the earliest my classes start is 1PM. The only downside to this is that we only get out at 6PM, but I'd much rather take the not SO crowded metros in the evening than the oh so very crowded metros in the early  morning. It's good. And it's been a blessing now during the first week because we have had time to run errands with Jenni before class, looking at apartments and residences, and DIN DIN DIIII!!!! yesterday..... we got our Chilean ID numbers!!! so now we're officially here in the Chilean system also, feels sooooooo goood! Finally!

Haha have to tell you a funny thing we did yesterday woth a few people from the class. This is another thing where we could distinctively see the difference between the Latin and Finnish cultures. It's great :) So we ended class early and had some time to kill. Jenni and I were trying to think of smething to do, when all of a sudden our classmates come up to us and say come with us, were going to the bar next to the school, we go there all the time! So, being polite and all, we though we have to go. No, just kidding, of course we went with delight! :P So there we were sitting, drinking our drinks (Terremotos [eathquake]), having fun and returning to school, watching classmates try to sit through English class has never been so funny :D Jenni and I of course only had one, but the rest, they were enjoying themselves ;)
So to sum it up, I like our University, like the teachers, our classmates are a lot of fun and can't wait to go back on Monday.

Before I go downstairs, ( I don't know what's up with my writing now, can't seem to get anything god written down...) I have to tell you about another very Chilean experience I had this morning at 6am. I woke up to my bed shaking and was petrified that it was a ghost or something! When I woke up properly, I saw my phone's light go on and saw a message from Jenni: "Just woke up because of my bed shaking due to the earthquake!" So, coming to my senses, I realized that I had experienced my first earthquake! Yikes! Thank goodness it was only a very small and short one, but scared the hell out of me, waking up to that from a very deep sleep. But, I guess there'll be many more of them, now I at least know how one feels like so I don't lose my mind thinking that ghosts are following me... :)

Have to get some coffee, maybe that'd make my writing better. I'll be back, don't you worry :P Ahahahaha! And let you know more about my life now that I'm studying and settling into the rythm of this life. Just want you to know that I absolutely love it here because I have people around me that care about me, who are doing everything in their power to make me feel like home (and succeeding in it very well) and I have this feeling of belonging that I've never had before. It's a weird feeling for me, but such a great one.

Catch up later,
love you guys,
Take care,
yours,
Maria